In which seed porn is examined and some recommendations are made
Seed catalogs are to me now what the old Sears "Wish Book" was when I was 6.
 |
| What could go wrong here? |
No matter how outlandish or impractical or ridiculous the items shown on the page of a Wishbook, they inspired hours of wishful thinking.
 |
| Burpee Co. tomato "Groundswell" |
So, yeah: seed catalogs = Wishbooks
Once you've decided on your garden's size and location, it's time to start dreaming.
You can take your time over this. Don't worry about being practical right now.
Linger over the seed catalogs. Dog-ear the pages, scribble your thoughts in the margins.
November is wishbook season, y'all.
 |
| Territorial Seeds pomegranate |
Please know that the fruit, veg and flowers in the catalogs are probably airbrushed, and advantageous angles and lighting is definitely in use to make stuff look amazing. Some photos may even be enhanced with AI tools. That's one of the reason I call it "seed porn."
 |
| Gurneys strawberries "Eversweet" |
Your garden may not grow everything as big and beautifully as the photos in the catalog for the same reason most 1st graders don't build Pinterest-worthy sn*wmen: it takes practice.
 |
| Some veg are more amusingly-shaped than others |
Before you hunker down with your hot cocoa and your seed porn catalogs, I wanna put on my Librarian Glasses™ for a moment and lay down some talk about the Perils of AI.
 |
| The future is here, and it's so brite. |
 |
| I would love to grow purple sunflowers, but they don't exist |
I want your gardening dreams to come true!
I'll link to some reputable seed companies below. Browse their websites, order their catalogs. They will send you real seeds.
If anything goes wrong with their seeds (it happens, sometimes), customer service will help you. You can write to them, or call to ask questions. Your emails and phone calls will be answered by real people, and if they don't know the answers they will find out.
HOW CAN YOU TELL IF THE COMPANY IS REAL?
That's a really good question in this age of AI slop. If you are in doubt, start with the big national brands listed below.
If you're hunting for something more specialized, look at the photos on the website. You know what they say about "if it seems to good to be true...?" Photos that are perfect, especially those that have the AI "shine" to them are definitely suspicious.
 |
| This is a real local farmer on a real local seed farm (with real mud): Nathaniel from Deep Harvest Farm on Whidbey Island. |
Tomatoes the size of a toddler are fake (you know that, right?)
 |
| Cute, but clearly not real |
Seeds sold on Etsy are fake.
 |
| Srsly? SO FAKE! |
Plants the colors of Skittles are fake.
 |
| Somebody srsly asked about this in one of our local social media gardening groups. "Why don't any of the local nurseries carry these?" Because they aren't real. |
Although the seeds sold at the Dollar Store are real, and probably from reputable companies originally, they are usually past their "best-by" date and may not germinate. Here's an article about seed viability and how to test your seeds for viability.
Seeds sold at a national grocery chain store are not necessarily selected for your region.
So, where should you buy seeds?
If you aren't sure about the reality and appropriateness of an online seed source, turn off your phone and buy seeds and starts at your local farming co-op instead.
Farmer's co-ops will sell fresh seeds that give you the best chance of success. In theory, they won't sell seeds for crops that don't grow in your region (watermelons in the Pacific Northwest are not a thing, for example), but in reality there's always somebody with a super-heated greenhouse who wants that stuff, so they may sell them. You can talk to the store staff, most of them are gardeners and/or farmers who will steer you in the right direction.
I'll talk about what crops are good for beginning gardeners in my next post.
I've separated my list into BIG COMPANIES and SMALLER COMPANIES. The big 'uns supply seed appropriate for many regions and growing conditions. Smaller companies specialize--they might grow only potatoes, for example, or focus only on legumes for northern climates. My list of small companies is skewed to the Pacific Northwest--if you aren't here (or in a place like here), let me know and I'll help you find small companies appropriate for your garden needs.
BIG COMPANIES
Baker Creek, also known as Rare Seeds This company focuses on heirloom seeds, although they do supply some stable modern varieties. Based in Missouri, they also have farms in California, Jamaica, and Kenya.
Burpee Burpee was the first researched-based seed growing company in the United States, established in 1876. They established "Fordhook Farm" in Pennsylvania, and the experimental gardens there are recognized world-wide for high-quality veg and flowers.
Gurney's Seed & Nursery Another old standard company, providing access to vegetables, flowers, fruit and trees. I had a problem with a piece of equipment I ordered from Gurney's and they fixed it the same day. Gold star.
Johnny's Seeds Based in Maine, Johnny's was one of the first seed suppliers to specialize in certified organic seed.
Seed Saver's Exchange is a non-profit organization tasked with preserving rare and heritage varieties of vegetables, fruit, herbs, and flowers. Their catalog is a thing of beauty, and many seed varieties come with a short explanation of the provenance of the seeds and plants--good reading for geeks like me! They are based in Missouri but supply seeds gathered and proven in a variety of regions and climates.
Territorial Seeds Oregon-based, this company traditionally provided access to vegetable seeds developed especially for growers "west of the Cascades" ... in other words, SWAMP VEG! The Territorial Seed catalog is an instruction guide as much as a list of products. They have widened their territory in recent years, and now sell things that grow in Northern California but not here. Read the descriptions before ordering.
SMALLER COMPANIES IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
Adaptive Seeds Based in Oregon, on the Wet Side. I've gotten some very good broccoli seed from them.
Deep Harvest Farm Whidbey Island Washington. This company is deeply embedded in the local community, and they grow most of their own seed.
Ed Hume Seeds I remember seeing Ed Hume on local television when I was a kid--a round-faced white guy, always mucking around in dirt and always smiling. He is now 93 years old, and apparently is still gardening! His company participates in the "Plant a Row" program, which encourages home gardeners to plant extra food to donate to local food banks--a worthy cause these days.
Filaree Garlic Farm When I decided to grow Makah Ozette potatoes (a variety grown by Makah tribal members for more than a century), I ran into a problem: Washington State doesn't allow out-of-state potatoes to come here. Potatoes are a big industry in our state and the Washington State Department of Agriculture, which is not staffed by dummies, very correctly put together a set of protective laws and practices to guard that industry. But the only big company selling the Makah Ozette potatoes was Burpee, and it's nowhere near here. Filaree to the rescue! They sell a lot more stuff than just garlic--and they are a super little local company too.
Renee's Garden A nice, ethical seed company run by plant people in California. They sell a ton of heirloom varieties of vegetables and flowers.
Uprising Seeds I would support a seed company based in my hometown of Bellingham Washington no matter what--but this is also a really super group of people, and they raise a lot of their own seed right in Whatcom County. I see that they have a variety of soup pea listed on their website that I've been dying to grow! Highly recommended.
If you are an experienced gardener, please put your recommendations in the comments box! Where do you buy seed? What crops are easy for you to grow? What crops are a challenge to grow?
Comments
Post a Comment
To err is human. To be anonymous is not.